Curtis William Readel

About

Curtis William Readel (American, b. 1981) is a Chicago-based artist and master printmaker whose work examines money, power, institutional authority, and the symbols embedded in American visual culture. He received a BFA from the University of Iowa and an MFA in Printmaking from Northern Illinois University. United States currency has been a recurring material and subject in his work since at least 2007, when he made pieces from shredded dollar bills. His MFA thesis turned the monuments printed on American currency into images of a collapsing empire, with presidential portraits deteriorating into skull-like forms. Readel is a co-founder of the Chicago print studio POP!NK Editions, established in 2014, where he has helped produce hand-pulled editions with artists including Hebru Brantley, Ryan Travis Christian, Carlos Rolon, Karl Wirsum, FUTURA, Swoon, and Ben Frost.